Su Richardson - Burnt Breakfast and Other Works

Curated by Alexandra M. Kokoli
6 July - 9 September
@:
The Constance Howard Gallery in Deptford Town Hall
(open Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11am-5pm)
Special Collections Reading Room in the Rutherford Building
(opne Monday - Friday, 10am - 5pm  and Wednesdays until 7pm)
Both at Goldsmiths University of London
New Cross, London SE14

 "Burnt Breakfast and other Works by Su Richardson is an exhibition of crochet and textile works by artist whose practice has played a key role in the revaluation of craft since the 1970s. Simultaneously celebrating, exploiting and subverting the connotations of feminine craft skills such as crocheting and emboridery, Richardson's self-reflectively home-made objects stir the unconscious of domesticity, femininity and their mutual implications from a distinctly feminist point of view. In her crocheted food, two different kinds of womanly and domestic 'labour of love', cooking and craft, clash and cancel each other. Burnt Breakfast is emblematic of the ambivalence that characterises feminist attitudes towards such traditional and traditionally womanly techniques..." (Kokoli)

 

The exhibition is wonderfully witty, most of it can be found at the Constance Howard Gallery, and don't be put off by the labirintic corridors to arrive there. I could take pictures but not share them, so I dare to share a single one, from the Special Collections Reading Room, which has a little vitrine with a few of her works, which I think is harmless enough and can work as my personalised teaser.

Unfortunately there is next to nothing online about her, so I can't share any link to images of her work, thus another reason to travel to South London and see this exhibition, with works full of humour and sexuality, such as: Friends Glove (1979) where satin long sleeve gloves caress a carefully chrocheted and embroidered pennis and vagina; or Travelling Man (1978) which Su Richardson affirms being "Made for a friend to their own instructions. There is a choice as to when to be sexual (equipment can be removed and clipped into own hand for protection and safe-keeping), choice to be anonymous (no facial features except tonge out at the world), choice to move quickly, incognito (folds up into a handy bag for travelling on someone else's shoulder)"

Update: Images can be found at 'Burnt Breakfast Crochet' FB page

(Thanks to Kokoli and Richardson)